News: Russian Soyuz spacecraft to be fitted with new re-entry equipment

06 August 2003 13:53

Russian Soyuz spacecraft to be fitted with new re-entry equipment

Moscow, 6 August: Equipment controlling the re-entry phase is being
replaced at all manned Soyuz spacecraft. "The first such unit,
upgraded in keeping with comments and proposals made by a joint
interdepartmental commission, has already been installed on the Soyuz
TMA-3 spacecraft that will take a new crew to the International Space
Station [ISS] in the autumn," the first deputy general designer of the
space rocket corporation Energiya, Nikolay Zelenshchikov, said. "The
need for upgrading the control unit emerged after its malfunctioning
during the landing of the Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft last May. The
spacecraft with the Russian-US crew on board made an unauthorized
off-target ballistic descent," he said. The Energiya official said
Soyuz TMA-3 would be used as a lifeboat for the ISS crew for a period
of six months. Currently the spacecraft is being tested at the
corporation's test and control facility. A crew of Aleksandr Kaleri of
Russia and Michael Foale of the United States will leave for the ISS
on 18 October. The third seat will be taken by Pedro Duque of Spain,
who will make a 10-day visiting mission and return to Earth with the
ISS's current crew - Yuriy Malenchenko and Edward Lu. Kaleri and Foale
will work aboard the ISS for six months, to be taken home by the Soyuz
TMA-3.
[ITAR-TASS news agency]

http://www.gateway2russia.com/artf.php?artid=125297

"Rusty B" wrote in message
om...
snip
The
spacecraft with the Russian-US crew on board made an unauthorized
off-target ballistic descent," he said.
snip

I love the wayspace guys put things. *laugh* Reminds me of the Challenger
accident, when the first negative words I heard, were something like, "We
have had a major malfunction."

BV.

"BenignVanilla" wrote in message
...
"Rusty B" wrote in message
om...
snip
The
spacecraft with the Russian-US crew on board made an unauthorized
off-target ballistic descent," he said.
snip

I love the wayspace guys put things. *laugh* Reminds me of the Challenger
accident, when the first negative words I heard, were something like, "We
have had a major malfunction."

In his defence, that was an off the cuff immediate reaction. Remember, he
was 1000+ miles away and not looking at it, only the numbers coming across
in telemetry.

It's comments like above and the comment on the Arianne 5 launch ("failed to
meet objectives" I think was the term) that are written/said long AFTER the
event that I think are funnier.


BV.

On Thu, 7 Aug 2003 16:02:41 -0400, "BenignVanilla"
wrote:


The
spacecraft with the Russian-US crew on board made an unauthorized
off-target ballistic descent," he said.
snip

I love the wayspace guys put things. *laugh* Reminds me of the Challenger
accident, when the first negative words I heard, were something like, "We
have had a major malfunction."

Steve Nesbitt, NASA Public Affairs Officer:

"Flight controllers here looking very carefully at the situation.
Obviously a major malfunction."



Brian

On Thu, 07 Aug 2003 22:14:54 GMT, Brian Thorn
wrote:

"Flight controllers here looking very carefully at the situation.
Obviously a major malfunction."

....Or, what the doctor said when Paul Maxson was born.


OM

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"Greg D. Moore (Strider)" wrote in message
...

"BenignVanilla" wrote in message
In his defence, that was an off the cuff immediate reaction. Remember, he
was 1000+ miles away and not looking at it, only the numbers coming across
in telemetry.

I used to think what he said was a bit strange until I found out that he was
in another state, making announcements based on six-second-old data.
Actually I don't think there was anything else he could have said, given the
situation. Maybe he could have used a better word than "malfunction" but
what the hell do I know...

It's comments like above and the comment on the Arianne 5 launch ("failed
to
meet objectives" I think was the term) that are written/said long AFTER
the
event that I think are funnier.

I've found that "nominal" and "off-nominal" have crept into my general
vocabulary. Same with "copy that" or even saying that something is "in
work."

On Fri, 08 Aug 2003 04:08:42 GMT, "James Oberg" wrote:


"Terrence Daniels" wrote in
message
I've found that "nominal" and "off-nominal" have crept into my general
vocabulary. Same with "copy that" or even saying that something is "in
work."

Fortunately my family is well trained to reach for a 2x4 whenever my tongue
slips in that direction. It's marvelously effective.

But the cumulative damage from repeated blows to the head may one
day be noticed even by your colleages at the network

Dale

"Greg D. Moore \(Strider\)" wrote:

"Terrence Daniels" wrote in
message ink.net...

I've found that "nominal" and "off-nominal" have crept into my general
vocabulary. Same with "copy that" or even saying that something is "in
work."

I tend to use "Hold 5" when using a chat session for someone.


Hehe... Or 'aye, wait' (the USN aproved equivalent). Or 'roger,
aye', the unapproved USN version of 'roger, wilco'.

D.
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Corrections, comments, and additions should be
e-mailed to , as well as posted to
sci.space.history and sci.space.shuttle for
discussion.

benignvanilla wrote:
"Rusty B" wrote in message
. com...
snip
The spacecraft with the Russian-US crew on board made an
unauthorized off-target ballistic descent," he said.
snip

I love the wayspace guys put things. *laugh* Reminds me of the Challenger
accident, when the first negative words I heard, were something like, "We
have had a major malfunction."

Steve Nesbit had the most difficult job in the world at that moment. He had to
say something about what everyone was seeing, but he didn't have any
information to convey beyond that they knew something really, really bad had
happened.

Since most people would be inclined to fall back on something like "Oh, ****"
at moments like this (read cockpit voice recorder transcripts just before
crashes for confirmation, Nesbit's professionalism should be commended.

As for the quote above, there's more politics involved than merely concealing a
negative event. The Russians really are subtly blaming the Americans on the
crew for the error, and it's telling that they still use such phrases.

mail me via lakefxdan AT aol DOT com

"ed kyle" wrote in message
snip
In retrospect, I think Mr. Nesbitt said the right words that day.
He was, after all, speaking not just to the media and to the NASA-TV
(and limited broadcast) audience, he was speaking also to the
astronaut's families and to classrooms of school childern across the
nation. His measured statement came quite some time after everyone
had clearly seen that a disaster had occurred. He needed to say
*something*, so he stated "officially" that something really bad had
just happened. I'm not sure anyone could have said anything better.

Oh, don't get my OP wrong. I am not criticizing the statement AT ALL. I
think it is quite imaginable the intestinal fortitude this guy had to be
able to stay that calm and collected. Some where in my gut though, I get a
giggle about the nomenclature. Dunno why...

BV.